Twist Your Whiskey Sour: 6 Ways

Twisted with wine, port, rum, absinthe and ginger.

A classic staple of any bar, the Whiskey Sour is the perfect mix of bourbon or Scotch, fresh lemon juice, sugar and egg white. Harmonious and silky in texture there’s a reason it’s a popular bar call and often ordered in large rounds. But its simplicity can sometimes be its downfall and when you’re looking for something louder and bolder there are no shortage of rather excellent, twists – making the right cocktail a matter of time, place and palate. Here are six twists to satisfy even the strangest of Whiskey Sour cravings.

A&B SOUR

This silky cocktail has subtle marzipan notes, perfect for those with a sweet tooth. One of the more popular cocktails of the 21st century, the Amaretto Sour is a light, sweet drink given its silky texture from the inclusion of egg white. When you mix a Whiskey Sour with an Amaretto Sour – based on an Italian marzipan-flavoured liqueur, you end up with a drink richer than classic spirit sours but still with the boozy kick of whiskey.

NEW YORK SOUR

Years ago many sours were traditionally served with claret wine drizzled on top - adding to the cocktail both visually and in terms of flavour. The New York Sour flirted with several names before sticking with the eponymous city and sees the Whiskey Sour meet rich and tannic red wine, which boosts the taste and deepens the finish of the drink. If you choose a base of cognac it then becomes a Continental Sour.

CHICAGO FIZZ

A step away from whiskey, but still similar in profile, is the Chicago Fizz which combines dark rum, port, lemon, sugar and egg white and is lengthened with soda water, changing the classic sour from something basic into a majestic drink which is long, light and yet full of flavour. If you prefer to stick to whiskey order an Elks Club Fizz which supplements the rum for rye whiskey, taking away some of the sweetness and adding rich spice or a Japanese Fizz which calls for Scotch, drying the drink out further.

PENICILLIN

This cocktail is a modern classic, calling on blended Scotch, honey, lemon, ginger and peated Scotch, was invented as recently as 2005 in New York’s Milk & Honey. While it doesn’t subscribe to the usual egg white sour this is still one of th best Scotch sour cocktails. In fact, the Penicillin managed to popularised Scotch cocktails after the ‘90s vodka obsession, and in particular peaty Scotch. Some might think it sacrilege to use single malts in mixed drinks, but Sam Ross, the drinks creator, proved it works incredibly well.

MORNING GLORY FIZZ

Scotch, lemon, sugar, absinthe and soda. This drink is one of the most superb creations in the cocktail cannon with the subtle taste of aniseed cutting through a simple Scotch fizz to bring finesse to a classic. Named for being a great hangover cure and eye-opener this drink is equally pleasing at 4pm at it is at 2am.

HOPSCOTCH SOUR

Created by Ali Burgess, owner of Happiness Forgets, this drinks uses the classic Scotch, lemon, sugar and egg white recipe but then is topped up with Beavertown’s 8 Ball IPA. The hoppiness of the beer ties in perfectly with the whisky, creating a cocktail that has similar properties to a fizz but is richer in texture and flavour.